Baxter to Buy Gambro for $2.8B: Hot Trends

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Popular searches on the Internet include Baxter International(BAX) as the drugmaker said Tuesday it will buy Swiss competitor Gambro for 18.3 billion kronor ($2.8 billion).

The acquisition will help Baxter expand its dialysis-equipment business and its kidney division. According to Baxter, dialysis treatment is growing at a rate of more than 5% per year. Baxter is the world's second-largest provider of kidney dialysis, while Gambro is third.

Baxter said the deal should cut per-share profit by 10 cents to 15 cents in 2013 and be neutral or add to profit in 2014.

Baxter shares have risen 33% this year. It has a market value of about $36.1 billion.

Qualcomm(QCOM) is trending as the company will invest up to $120 million in Japanese TV-maker Sharp.

As part of the agreement between the two companies, Qualcomm and Sharp will collaborate on developing new power-saving screens. They will also potentially work together on chipsets.

Qualcomm's cash injection will help Sharp boost its shareholder equity ratio, which has been at low levels.

Qualcomm will invest 4.93 billion yen ($59.91 million) by the end of the year, giving the company a 2.64% stake after dilution. Its remaining investment will be conditional on Sharp returning to profit by March 31.

ADM is another popular search. Archer Daniels Midland Co.(ADM) raised its bid for Australia's GrainCorp by 3.8% to A$2.8 billion after its prior offer was rejected.

ADM's offer comes to A$12.20 a share in cash, compared to its prior offer of A$11.75. Its new offer includes a dividend of A$0.35 a share, announced last month, which shareholders are allowed to keep. ADM's acquisition of another 5% of GrainCorp shares brings its stake to 19.9%.

GrainCorp's board has not yet responded to the new offer. It had rejected ADM's prior bid due to its belief that the offer "materially undervalued" the company.

GrainCorp is the only major publicly traded grain handler in Australia.

The chatter on Main Street (a.k.a. Google, Yahoo! and other search sites) is always of interest to investors on Wall Street. Thus, each day, TheStreet compiles the stories that are trending on the Web, and highlights the news that could make stocks move.

-- Written by Brittany Umar.

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